Krista Welsh, age 17, of Akron, Ohio, for her question:

WAS DUKE ELLINGTON REALLY A ROYAL DUKE?

 Duke Ellington was an American composer, conductor and pianist

and one of the most respected figures in the history of jazz. He was

not from royal family. He was born in 1899 in Washington, D.C.,  as

Edward Kennedy Ellington. He took the Duke name for professional reasons.

Ellington played professionally from the age of 17. He brought jazz into concert halls and religious services. He was the first to compose extended jazz works. He was also the first to achieve success both as a composer arranger of serious jazz instrumental music and as a writer of popular songs.

The musician first gained fame as the leader of a 10 piece band at the Cotton Club in New York City's Harlem in 1927.

Ellington's compositions are in a kind of modified concerto form, being constructed around solo instrumental performances. They also frequently introduced vocal passages without words. His style was eclectic, combining blues, various forms of jazz and the big band sounds of swing music.

Among Ellington's most famous songs are "Mood Indigo," "Sophisticated Lady" and "Solitude."